Airport again, for return to UK

 Yes, airport again, this time awaiting my flight back to the UK.  I'm ready to go home yet at the same time it's been a bit sad the last few days to say goodbye to Japan. 

 I've covered some ground since arriving back from South Korea. I spent a morning hiking the easy bit of the historic Nakasendo trail from Magome to Tsugome, which was wonderful, and visited Matsumoto and its historic castle before returning to Tokyo.  In Tokyo, I had a day at the May sumo tournament, and I took a workshop to make gluten-free ramen from scratch which was delicious. I met up with a friend to visit some clothing shops in the Harajuku area, and I enjoyed a fun evening at the big festival around the Asakusa Shrine.  I moved to Nagoya and did day trips to see the castle towns of Gujo-Hachiman and Inuyama, then had a luxurious one-night stay at a traditional Japanese ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen Town.  I had a few days in Kyoto where I managed to avoid most of the crowds: I did a shibori experience at the Shibori museum, visited the Orinasu handweaving museum, and watched a short geiko (geisha) dance performance at the new Gion Kagai Art Museum which also displayed many beautiful kimono.  I enjoyed visits to big antique flea markets in Kyoto and Kawagoe, and a high quality handicraft market also in Kyoto.  Everywhere I saw secondhand kimono and obi on sale cheaply or items such as bags sewn from kimono and obi fabric, I fear that future textile historians will lament the wholesale selling off and discarding of so much Japanese clothing history.

So my suitcases are bulging as are my memories, I tried to journal every day so I wouldnt forget what I'd done. Unfortunately my waistline is also bulging, its much easier to find gluten free desserts than meals and I have a sweet tooth.  When I get unpacked and sorted out, then I'll post some haul pictures.  I finished knitting my lace shawl, and have just started the heel on my second sock so will work on that on the plane (I use Clover bamboo dpns which seem to go through Security fine).  I've only completed one of the three embroidery panels I brought with me, and didnt touch the cross stitch kit at all.  I did scrapbook most days with my collected paper ephemera but I am undecided if it was worthwhile or not - the resulting book is fairly heavy but it was satisfying to have an end use for all the ticket stubs and pamphlets you accumulate and not just throwing them out.